The Research Will Help Microsoft to Respond Quickly to World Changes

A key part of Microsoft Researchs mission is to give Microsoft the agility to respond immediately when the world changesor to change the world itself. The new researchers at Microsoft Research New York City found that impossible to resist. Langford cited four reasons: Microsoft moved very fast in making decisions, and I sincerely appreciate the agility. Microsoft has simultaneously become a more open and competitive company, including, in my case, support for Vowpal Wabbit. Microsoft Research has a strong tradition of support for basic research, which I greatly value. And a combination of outstanding and unique opportunities for future collaborations yielding products and research.

Microsoft Research is a world-class research organization with a long history and a deeply rooted culture of appreciation for both basic and applied science, Watts said. The opportunity to found a new Microsoft Research lab is one that comes along only rarely, and the chance to do it in such a great city as New York is, for me personally, even more special and exciting. It really feels like a once-in-a-career opportunity.

For his part, Pennock has firsthand experience at Microsoft Research, having interned at the Redmond lab in 1998 under Eric Horvitz, now a Microsoft distinguished scientist and deputy managing director of Microsoft Research Redmond. Over the years, Pennock has maintained professional relationships with Microsoft Research colleagues such as Horvitz, Chris Meek, Moshe Babaioff and Moshe Tennenholtz. But it was Chayes who, for him, proved convincing.

One thing were going to do right away is visit Redmond and get to know the product groups, Pennock said. Well be working a lot with the Online Services Division, so we want to meet those folks. Well also be talking to people in the Server and Tools Business. We want to make sure we are looped into the company and thinking about Microsoft products from Bing to Xbox to servers to ¦ everything.

Meanwhile, in a blog post on the opening of the new lab in New York, Chayes said she was happy to be going back to her birthplace to work, and added that Microsoft's move to New York City could not come at a better time because Mayor Michael Bloomberg has dedicated the city as a prime locale for technological innovation and entrepreneurship. Added Chayes:

On a global level, our New York City researchers will become part of the Microsoft Research network of more than 850 Ph.D. researchers, focused on more than 55 areas of computing, and will have the ability to collaborate openly with leading academic, government and industry researchers.

With labs in seven countries worldwide, were always intrigued by how location plays such a critical factor in the development and success of each Microsoft lab. In a way, New York City can be considered a living laboratory, built upon an intellectual foundation of renowned research institutions, an energized collaborative culture and a hotbed of activity in high tech, financial services, publishing, advertising, art and design.

This new lab will provide an opportunity for Microsoft Research researchers and developers worldwide to share and interact with the New York City academic and tech communities. Specifically, MSR-NYC has started to reach out to prestigious research universities in the area, including Columbia, NYU, the new Cornell-Technion NYC campus, Princeton and Rutgers, to discuss ways to collaborate more closely and to support each other. We look forward to continuing these conversations and realizing the potential opportunities available.

Darryl K. Taft covers the development tools and developer-related issues beat from his office in Baltimore. He has more than 10 years of experience in the business and is always looking for the next scoop. Taft is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and was named 'one of the most active middleware reporters in the world' by The Middleware Co. He also has his own card in the 'Who's Who in Enterprise Java' deck.